Steam or hydraulically operable winch



Jan. 25, 1966 G. LOTTERMOSER STEAM OR HYDRAULIGALLY OPERABLE WINCH 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 23, 1962 I N VEN T02 G'EPHA RD LOTTERMOSEHFIGZ 4 7' TORNEVS'.

Jan. 25, 1966 e. LOTTERMOSER 3,231,241

STEAM OR HYDRAULICALLY OPERABLE WINCH Filed Aug. 23, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet2 INVENTUQ. GERHARD LOT TERMOSER ATTORA/L-KS.

United States Patent 6 STEAM OR HYDRAULICALLY O PERABLE WINCH Thepresent invention relates to a steam or hydraulically operable winch,especially a warping or towing winch, with steam or hydraulic mediumcontrol which operates in dependence on the hawser tension.

Steam operable winches of this type have been proposed, but have thedisadvantage that in order to bring the steam control into action aninadmissibly high degree of variation in the hawser tension is required;in particular there is the danger that, in spite of the automatic steamoperation, there may be overstressing of the hawser with consequentbreaking thereof. For the automatic system to be caused to respond so asto effect paying out of the hawser there must be an increase in thehawser tension to two to three times the nominal tension.

It is an object of the invention to provide a steam or hydraulicallyoperable winch comprising means adapted ot sense the hawser tension ofthe winch, and means linking said sensing means to a slide valve of adriving engine of the winch whereby said engine is controlled independence on the hawser tension. With such an arrangement it ispossible to keep within low limits the range of hawser tensile forcenecessary for switching over the automatic system, so that as little asto deviation from the nominal force is enough to cause the automaticsystem to respond.-

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a winch whereinthe sensing means comprise an arrangement for responding to load torquebetween a barrel of the winch and a driving member therefor.

It is another object of the invention to provide such a winch whereinfor the purpose of adaptation to prevailing circumstances the loadtorque corresponding to the neutral position of the control slide valvecan be manually adjustable.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide such a winchwherein the control slide valve is constructed with control surfaceoverlaps which are kept so small that the difference in tensile forcebetween paying out and hauling in the hawser is very small, but yetgreat enough to prevent swinging.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from thefollowing description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings which are given by way of example and in which:

FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a steam-operated warping winchwith force-dependent automatic steam control system according to theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of a two-way slide valve;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic representation of a steamoperated warping winchwith automatic steam control system dependent upon warping force andpath length; and

FIG. 4 is a diagramatic cross section through a control slide valvearrangement for a steam-operated warping winch as shown in FIG. 3.

In the drawings the reference numeral 1 indicates a spur wheel, movablydisposed on a shaft 2 of the barrel of the winch, which is driven by asteam engine 45 through links 52 connected to piston rods 51 and pivots53 provided and angularly displaced on balance wheels 54. These latterwheels are rigidly secured to an intermediate shaft 47 which alsocarries a pinion gear 46 being in constant engagement with spur gear 1.This gear wheel 1 is connected through spring links 3 with a driverplate 4 disposed rigidly on the barrel shaft 2.

With the transmission of torque from the gear wheel 1 to the barrelshaft 2 there is a mutual angular displacement of the gear wheel 1 andthe driver plate 4, the magnitude of which depends on the magnitude ofthe transmitted torque and thus on the magnitude of the hawser pullacting on the barrel of the winch. This angular displacement is utilizedto adjust a two-way slide valve 5 of the steam engine in relation to thehawser tension and thereby to switch the steam engine 45 over, byconnecting steam pipes 48, 49, which extend between the two-way valve 5and the distributing valve 45a of the steam engine 45, alternately withthe steam supply pipe 32 and the exhaust steam pipe 50 (see FIG. 3). Forthis purpose an angular lever 8 is mounted at a fulcrum point 7 on thedriver plate 4 so as to swing in a plane at right angles to the radialplane of the shaft 2 and one arm of the said lever 8 is connectedthrough a connecting strip 9 with a fulcrum point 6 on the gear wheel 1while the other arm of the lever 8 acts, through a forked connectingstrip 10, on an arm 12 of lever arrangement 12, 13, which is pivotallymovable about pivot points 11. Arms 13 of the lever arrangement actthrough connecting strips 14, on a sleeve 15 which can slide on theshaft 2, but which cannot rotate relative to the shaft 2.

The axial displacement of the sleeve 15 is transmitted to fulcrum slides17, which engage in a peripheral groove 16 of the sleeve 15, to a leverarrangement 19, 20 which is mounted on spatially fixed pivots 18 an arm20 of the lever arrangement 19, 20 being linked by a forked connectionstrip 21 to an angular lever 22 which is likewise mounted so as to befixed in respect of space and which acts on the end of a valve rod 23 ofthe two-way slide valve 5. The length of the valve rod 23 can beadjusted by threaded spindle 24 with a hand-grip 25. In this way thetwo-way slide valve 5 can be adjusted to the desired nominal hawsertension.

The two-way slide valve 5 is further connected with a hand lever 26which, after the removal of a coupling pin 27 (see FIG. 3) which onremoval separates the valve rod 23 into two parts and thus prevents thedescribed automatic adjustment of the two-way slide valve 5, can beutilized for effecting manual control of the steam-engine, and thus alsoof the winch. The two-way slide valve 5 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is anormal piston valve with a body 28, valve bush 29 and slide 30. Theguiding edges of the slide 36 and the control channels 31, 32 are ofsuch dimensions that the overlappings occurring on manual operation areadequate to keep the difference in tensile force between paying out andhauling in the hawser as small as is required and, further, to preventthe winch from swinging. Thus, for example, it is possible with anominal hawser tension of 10 tons to prevent with certainty an excess ofmore than 10%.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show a modified arrangement which goes beyond thearrangement described by reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, and in which thecontrol of the steam engine is effected in dependence on winching forceand also path length. Here, a two-way slide valve 33, which is operatedin dependence on force just as the two-way valve 5 of FIGS. 1 and 2,there is allocated a double valve or slide arrangement 34 which isoperated in dependence on hawser length and which has valve or slideelements 34a and 34b for minimum and maximum limitation of the paid-outlength of hawser. While the slide valve 33 is again, in similar mannerto the slide valve in FIG. 1, in communication by a valve rod 23 withthe force-dependent automatic system described, which is representeddiagrammatically in FIG. 3, the valve or slide 34 is con- 3 nectedthrough a rod 35 with the barrel shaft, so that the revolutions of thebarrel shaft act, through a gear system, e.g., bevel gears 36, on athreaded spindle 3'7 or the like which is directly connected with therod 35. Inserted in the rod linkage to the slide 34 is, again, anadjusting member 38a, by means of which the paid-out length of hawser islimited to a minimum value. This minimum value can be steplesslyadjusted by means of the adjusting member 38a, by means of which the rod35 together with the valve or slide elements 34a and 3412 can beshifted. The slide element 34b for determining the maximum value of thepaid-out length of hawser can be axially adjusted on the rod 35 by meansof an adjusting member 38b. The restriction'of the length of hawserwhich .is paid out is important, particularly when towing in narrowchannels or when traffic is heavy.

The control slide valve 33 is provided with a main passage 39 servingfor the reversal of the rotational direction of the driving engine andfor the control of the speed of the driving engine, and with anauxiliary passagetlwhich is in-communication with the main passage 39and to which steam is supplied only in the event of increasing load,through an additional steam supply line 41. Steam is thus supplied tothe main passage 39 through the line 41 and the auxiliary passage 40 orby way of a pipe 42, as is provided form all normal twoway slide valves.However, while in a normal two-way slide valve this pipe 42 communicatesdirectly with the boiler-this is also the case in the two-way slidevalve in the arrangement shown in FIGS. 1 and 2in the present case thereis inserted in the pipe 42 the control slide valve 34, which is operatedin dependence upon paid out hawser length, so that, as already describedabove, this control slide valve closes the steam pipe 42 as soon as thehawser length drops below the pie-set minimum.

For hand operation, a by-pass to the control slide valve 34 with a valve44 is provided which is closed for automatic operation and is opened formanual operation. Further, in manual operation the coupling pin 27 isremoved from the rod linkage of the force-dependent automatic systemwhile the length-dependent automatic system can remain connected.

The present invention is of special importance for warping winches, butcan also be applied analogously to towing winches with steam orhydraulic drive.

The embodiment above described is by way of example only and manyomissions, additions and alterations may be made within the spirit andscope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A fluid pressure motor operated winch comprising, in combination, areversible fluid pressure operated motor positively driven byfluidpressure in each direction of operation; a rotatable winch; a drivemember coaxial with said winch and rotatable relative thereto; drivingmeans interconnecting said motor and said drive member; tension meansinterconnecting said drive member and said winch for conjoint rotation,while .providing for relativeangular displacement thereof in accordancewith tension on a hawser connected to said winch; a fluid pressuresupply line; a fluid pressure exhaust line; first and secnd conduitsconnected to said motor for selective positive fluid pressure operationof the latter in reverse directions in accordance with the respectiveconnections of said conduits to said supply and exhaust lines; areversing valve interposed between said supply and exhaust lines andsaid conduits, and including a reciprocable slide movable between afirst position, connecting said first conduit to said supply line andsaid second conduit to said exhaust line and a second position,connecting said second conduit to said supply line and said firstconduit to said exhaust line; a movable operating member connected tosaid slide to reciprocate the latter between its two positions; andcontrol linkage connected to said operating member, to said winch and tosaid drive member, and effective to displace said slide to control thedirection of positive fluid pressure operation of said motor inaccordance with the hawser tension as measured by the relative angulardisplacement of said winch and said drive member.

2. A fluid pressure motor operated winch, as claimed 1 in claim 1,including separate means connected to said winch and controlling theoperation of said motor in accordance with the rotation of said winchand hence the feedingof the hawser; said separate means comprisingthrottle 'valve means interposed in said fluid pressure supply line inadvance of said reversing valve and controlling the supply of pressurefluid to said reversing valve in accordance with the rotation of saidwinch.

3. A fluid pressure motor operated winch, as claimed in claim 1, inwhich said winch includes a driving shaft, a winch drum aflixed to saidshaft for rotation therewith, and a driver secured to said shaft forrotation therewith; said drive member comprising a gear rotatable onsaidshaft; said tension means interconnecting said gear and said driver;said driving means comprising a driving pinion rotated by said motorand'meshing with said gear to rotate said winch through said driver.

4. A fluid pressure motor operated winch, according to claim 3, whereinsaid driver includes a plate secured to said shaft, said gear beingconnected to'saidplate by spring links secured at one end to said gearand at their opposite ends to said plate, said spring links constitutingsaid tension means.

5. A fluid pressure motor operated winch according to claim 3, *whereinsaid spring links are connected at angularly spaced locations tosaidd-river at positions surrounding said driving shaft.

6. A fluid pressure motor operated winch "according to claim 3 in whichsaid operating member includes a linkage element displaceable by saidcontrol linkage in accordance with the relative angular displacementbetween said driver and said gear, and a connecting rod connected tosaid linkage element, said connecting rod being adjustable in length topermit adjustment of the position of said slide.

7. A fluid pressure motor operated winch according to claim 6, includinga hand lever means connected to said slide for manually shifting saidpiston slide.

8. A fluid pressure operated motor driven winch. according to claim 2,wherein said throttle valve means includes means for supplyingadditional fluid pressure to said motor with increasing winch load.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,634,912 7/1927Miller 254-172 SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner.

1. A FLUID PRESSURE MOTOR OPERATED WINCH COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, AREVERSIBLE FLUID PRESSURE OPERATED MOTOR POSITIVELY DRIVEN BY FLUIDPRESSURE IN EACH DIRECTION OF OPERATION; A ROTATABLE WINCH; A DRIVEMEMBER COAXIAL WITH SAID WINCH AND ROTATABLE RELATIVE THEREOF; DRIVINGMEANS INTERCONNECTING SAID MOTOR AND SAID DRIVE MEMBER; TENSION MEANSINTERCONNECTING SAID DRIVE MEMBER AND SAID WINCH FOR CONJOINT ROTATION,WHILE PROVIDING FOR RELATIVE ANGULAR DISPLACEMENT THEREOF IN ACCORDANCEWITH TENSION ON A HAWSER CONNECTED TO SAID WINCH; A FLUID PRESSURESUPPLY LINE; A FLUID PRESSURE EXHAUST LINE; FIRST AND SECOND CONDUITSCONNECTED TO SAID MOTOR FOR SELECTIVE POSITIVE FLUID PRESSURE OPERATIONOF THE LATTER IN REVERSE DIRECTIONS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RESPECTIVECONNECTIONS OF SAID CONDUITS TO SAID SUPPLY AND EXHAUST LINES; AREVERSING VALVE INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID SUPPLY AND EXHAUST LINES ANDSAID CONDUITS, AND INCLUDING A RECIPROCABLE SLIDE MOVABLE BETWEEN AFIRST POSITIION, CONNECTING SAID FIRST CONDUIT TO SAID SUPPLY LINE ANDSAID SECOND CONDUIT TO SAID EXHAUST LINE AND A SECOND POSITION,CONNECTING SAID SECOND CONDUIT TO SAID SUPPLY LINE AND SAID FIRSTCONDUIT TO SAID EXHAUST LINE; A MOVABLE OPERATING MEMBER CONNECTED TOSAID SLIDE TO RECIPROCATE THE LATTER BETWEEN ITS TWO POSITIONS; ANDCONTROL LINKAGE CONNECTED TO SAID OPERATING MEMBER, TO SAID WINCH AND TOSAID DRIVE MEMBER, AND EFFECTIVE TO DISPLACE SAID SLIDE TO CONTROL THEDIRECTION OF POSITIVE FLUID PRESSURE OPERATION OF SAID MOTOR INACCORDANCE WITH THE HAWSER TENSION AS MEASURED BY THE RELATIVE ANGULARDISPLACEMENT OF SAID WINCH AND SAID DRIVE MEMBER.